Pump



W. N. EDDINS PUMP Filed Sept. 8, 1959 Dec. 30, 1941.

W/V EDD/N6 WENTOR. M X) W ATTORNHS.

Patented Dec. 30, 1941 'UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE William N. Eddins, San Antonio, Tex.

Application September 8, 1939, Serial No. 293,871

8 Claims.

This invention relates to pumps and particularly to pumps of the type in which a gaseous pressure fluid is used within the well for producing the desired lifting force to remove fluid from the well.

This application is a continuation in part of my earlier application, Serial N0. 191,616, filed February 21, 1938, for Fluid operated pump, which has matured into Patent 2,212,416, dated August 20, 1940.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a pump to be operated by means of a gaseous pressure fluid in a manner that a maximum of efliciency is obtained therefrom.

A further object of the invention is to, provide a pump in which a valved piston movable within the pump barrel is so constructed that the valve therein will open by snap action when the end of the stroke is reached so that undesirable effects resulting from slow leakage or bleeding of the lifting fluid through the piston is avoided.

Still another object of the invention is to provide-a pumping mechanism including a piston having a downwardly opening valve and provided with means for holding the valve normally closed, there being supplemental means for maintaining a seal between the piston and valve during the initial movement of the valve toward open positlon.

A more specific object is to provide a pump having a piston with a valve seat at its lower end, a sleeve being slidably positioned within the piston and having an auxiliary seat engageable with the valve and adapted to travel a limited distance therewith to maintain a seal during the initial movement of the valve toward open position.

Various objects and features of the invention will be understood from the following detailed description of a typical construction embodying the invention.

Throughout this description reference is made to the drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a sectional view thru an illustrative embodiment of the invention, the piston within the structure being shown in elevation;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through the piston comprising an element of the invention;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken on tity whereby the liquid to be lifted is removed from the Well in successive-slugs or heads. To this end the illustrated embodiment comprises a pump tubing I which is lowered into a well and which terminates in a swaged nipple 2 threadably attached by means of a coupling 3 to barrel 4, the lower of which is in turn attached by means of coupling 5 to swaged nipple Ii supporting tubular member I provided with an upwardly opening standing valve 8.

Mounted within the upper swaged nipple 2 is a spider l0 having a plurality of axial openings H arranged about the axis thereof. Threadably secured in the center of this spider is a guide tube l2 which is closed at l3 at its upper end. This guide tube i2 is secured in place by means of a lock nut it. v

The piston l5 which is best shown in Fig. 2 comprises a body portion it upon which are mounted seal rings H to engage the inner walls of the barrel 4 and prevent the slippage of fluids therebetween. Secured to the upper end of the body l6 and holding the upper rings I1 in place is a cap l8 which provides a chamber l9 having outlet openings 20 at the top of the assembly.

Eccentric openings 2| in the body l6 provide a passage between the chamber-l9 and the lower portion of the piston which is formed by a tubular member 22 threadably secured to the body H5 at 23. It is apparent that by means of the construction just described there is a passage thru the piston, such passage including a lower chamber 25, eccentric openings 2|, chamber l9 and the openings 20.

The lower end of the member 22 has a seating surface 26 to be engaged by a valve member 21 sothat the passage thru the piston may be opened and closed. The valve 21 has an axial stem 28 extending upwardly therefrom having an enlarged portion 29 within a central bore 30 in the body Hi. The enlargement 29 is provided with spaced peripheral grooves 3| and 32 which are engageable by balls 33 urged inwardly by means of springs 34 in a radial bore in the body IS. The lowermost groove 32 is located in such a plane on the enlargement 29 that the valve 21 is releasably held against the valve seat 26 when the balls 33 are held in place Within the groove. In a similar manner the groove 3| is desirably positioned upon the enlargement 29 in such a plane that the valve will be in open position when this groove is engaged by the balls 33.

The enlarged portion 29 of the valve stem 28 extends upwardly and passes loosely through an opening 24 in the top of the cap l8. The enlargement 29 is threaded within the chamber I 9 to receive lock nuts 40 and ll of which the lowermost is provided with downward projections 42 which mayengage the upper surface of the body It to prevent movement the valve stem beyond a point at which the balls 33 engage the groove 3|.

The upper end of the valve stem 28 has a cylindrical head 50 within the guide tube l2. A compression spring abuts the upper surface of the head 50 and the upper end of the tube l2 while a similar spring 52 surrounds the valve stem below the head 50 and engages the nether surface of the head and the inwardly extending flange 53 at the lower end of the tube. This construction provides a resilient connection between the guide tube l2 and the valve stem 28 and serves a function that will more fully appear.

A compression spring 55 is also provided about the valve stem 23 between the lower end 0! the guide tube l2 and the upper surface of the piston l5. This spring exerts a force which constantly tends to move the piston ll downwardly relative to the remainder of the pump assembly.

In the operation oi. the device as thus far described, fluid from the well enters the barrel 4 through the check valve 3 below the piston IS. Both liquid and gaseous fluids will thus enter the pump barrel and there will be an accumulation thereof until the pressure is suflicient to lift the piston i5 and component parts against the force exerted by the springs SI and 55 and the weight of the column or superposed fluids.

The valve 21 will movetogether with the remainder oi the piston assembly it until the force exerted by the spring 5| or the force effected upon complete compression of the spring is sufllcient to retard further movement of the valve. The further movement of the piston will cause the balls 33 to move outwardly and as soon as the valve stem 28 is released from engagement by the balls 33 there will be a quick downward action of the valve stem under the influence of the compressed spring ii. In this manner the balls 33 will become engaged in the groove 3i, thus releasably holding the valve in open position.

While it is not essential to the invention, it is preferable that the spring 5| be of insufllcient strength to force the balls 33 from within the groove 32. Hence, initial relative movement of the piston and valve will take place when the spring 5! becomes completely compressed and serves as stop to prevent further upward movethe remainder of the assembly when the balls 33 are being displaced from within the groove 32, there is a slight opening between the valve seat 26 and the valve 21, whereby there is a leakage or bleeding of the liquid into and through the piston underthe accumulated pressure therebeneath. Such action is desirable for the principal reason that a balancing of pressures may follow and result in the establishment of static conditions in the pump. In order to avoid such difliculty the bore within the member 22 is enlarged at to receive a peripheral flange 5i upon a sleeve or supplemental sleeve or valve member 62 which is slidable within the member 22. The shoulder at the lower end of the counterbore 60 serves as a stop for the sleeve 62 and hence determines the limit of downward movement of the sleeve.

The lower end of the sleeve 52 is provided with a seating surface 63 to engage the tapered surface on the valve member 21 and the sleeve is urged into engagement with this valve member by a compression spring 64 which abuts the upper end of the sleeve 32 and is held in place by means of a threaded ring 65 secured within the upper end of the member 22.

It is believed apparent that. as the valve member 2'! begins downward movement and leaves the seat 26 as the balls 33 are being moved from within the groove 32, the sleeve 32 moves with the valve under the influence of spring 64 and hence maintains a seal; However, at the instant the balls 33 have moved from within the groove 32 the valve opens by snap action due to the upward movement of the piston and to a limited movement of the valve 21 downwardly under the influence of the spring 5|. Downward movement of the sleeve 62 is terminated by the engagement oi the flange 6| with the bottom of the counterbore 60. Hence there is a quick opening of the passage through the piston assembly and slow leakage or bleeding of fluid through the piston is avoided.

It is to be understood that a unit such as that just described may be used singly or a plurality of units may be used at stages within a well bore, the number depending upon conditions to be satisfied in efficient and effective lilting oi!- fiuids within the well.

Broadly the invention comprehends a pressure actuated pump which is so constructed that a maximum of efllciency is obtained from the actuating fluid.

What is claimed is:

l. A fluid operated pump comprising a pump barrel, a piston therein, a standing valve at the lower end of the barrel, a fluid passage through said piston, a valve seat at the lower end of the piston, a valve in said passage, said valve including a stem extending longitudinally of the piston and having a loose connection with the barrel, means to resiliently oppose movement of said stem, and to also move the stem relative to the piston to open the valve, means normally urging the piston downwardly relative to said stem to maintain the valve closed upon said seat, and means for maintaining a seal with the valve to close said passage during initial travel of the valve from position upon said seat.

2. A fluid operated pump comprising a pump barrel, a piston therein, a standing valve at the lower end of the barrel, a fluid passage through the piston, a valve seat at the lower end of the piston, a valve adapted to engage said valve seat, means for releasably holding the valve in open and closed positions, means for rapidly moving the valve .to open position when released by said first mentioned means, and means for maintaining a seal between the valve and piston and closing said passage during releasing movement of the valve.

3. A fluid operated pump comprising a pump barrel, a piston therein, a passage through said piston, a downwardly opening valve in said passage, means to hold said valve normally closed, said piston being movable upwardly by fluid pressure, a stem on said valve, a spring engaging said valve stem to oppose movement of the valve as the piston moves upwardly, and means movable with the valve during limited initial movement thereof from closed position for maintaining a seal preventing passage of fluid between the piston and valve.

4. A fluid operated pump comprising a piston,

a passage through said piston, a downwardly opening valve in said piston, means to hold said valve normally closed, and means for maintaining a seal closing said passage between the piston and valveduring limited initial movement of the valve toward open position.

5. The combination of a valve having a valve stem extending outwardly therefrom, a tubular member surrounding said stem and having a seat engageable by said valve, a sleeve slidable within said member and having an auxiliary seat engageable by said valve, means resiliently urging said sleeve axially of the valve stem to maintain sealing engagement with the valve after the valve moves from the first mentioned seat, and means for limiting the movement of said sleeve, whereby the passage through the tubular member is maintained closed during initial movement of the valve to open position.

6. The combination of a tubular member having a seat on one end thereof, a valve. adapted to engage said seat and close the passage through the member, means for releasably holding the valve in predetermined open and closed positions, and a supplemental valve seat movable relative to said member to effect sealing engagement with the valve during initial and terminal movement of the valve as the valve moves respectively from and to closed position.

7. The combination of a tubular member having a seat on one end thereof, a valve adapted. to engage said seat, means for releasably holding the valve in open and closed positions, a. valve sleeve movable within said member, said sleeve having a seat adapted to engage said valve and form a seal therewith, and means to limit the movement of said sleeve after the valve moves from engagement with the first mentioned seat.

8. The combination of a tubular member having a seat on one end thereof, a valve adapted to engage said seat, means for releasably holding the valve in open and closed position, a valve. sleeve movable within said member, a seat on said sleeve to engage said valve, resilient means normally urging the sleeve toward the valve, and means for limiting the movement of said sleeve with the valve after the valve is unseated from the tubular member.

" WILLIAM N. EDDINS. 

